The South western news. (Dawson, GA.) 188?-1889, 1887-10-26

! ROCKY mountains III the night and, when
! morning dawned. we we're far out upon the
| plains, the only suggestion of the tremendous
| system through which We had passed being the
! sight of a lofty peak or two resting like clouds
/ upon the western horizon. The contrast be-
| tween the mountains and the plain is most
strlklng-the prairies are undoubtedly mono
/ tonous after the immense variety of the Sell
| kinks and Rockies, but nevertheless have much
that is novel and interesting. Travelling
across the vast stretches of Alberta, Assiniboin
ard Manitoba is like voyage at seattle
| prospect is completely unbroken, and the
silence is profound. The luxuriant soil If the
! plains nOurishcs the mcst beautiful flow
ers. At every station we descended to pick
the blooms Of delicate blue yellow, crimson
and salTHnn t.n's which filed the landsrape
with thick masses of color. Prairie dogs and
gophers sat at the edge of their burrows to see
us pass, and served, when we stopped, as
marks for the revolvers of the passengers, who
got much sport thereby, and did not harm the
animals at all, as far as could be observed In
the distance appeared, from time to time,
herds of antelope, and plainly marked path
ways, crossing the track and stretching out of
sight to north end south, showed where Buff
falo had retreated into still more remote fast
nesses before the presence of their enemy the
white man. Great herds of cattle were often
met, slowly moving westward, attended by
half-brecd drivers and canvass covered wagons,
their movements directed by pack of wolfish
looking d gs, which hung upon the outskirts
of the herd and snapped and snarled at its re-
luetant or delaying members. At Medicine
Hat we cross the Saskatchewan, broad and
turbid stream, spanned by steel bridge 1910
feet long. Medicine Hat-named after a once
famous Indian doctor who bore this euphoni-
ous title-is a thriving town, the centre of
vast agricultural and grazing region,
and the headquarters of a detach-
ment of the famous mounted police,
whose efforts sometimes independent, again
assisted by the forces of the United States
army across the border, have had salutary
effect in subduing and keeping in order the
native tribes Members of the force were seen
lounging around the railway station-stalwart
fellows in scarlet coats and huge top-boots,
and with the porkpie caps so much affected
/ by the British soldiery cooked upon their
beads at the perilous angle which the regula-
tons seem to prescribe. Looking at these
troopers, one might fancy himself regarding
a London group Of sOldiers-they would have
been quite at fGit if set down at once in Pail
Mall or Trafalgar square. Near them were
knots of the Indians whom they are stationed
| here to qUaa-Grave- looking savages. with
yellow painted foreheads, red ears, cheeks in
| alternate stripes of blue and white, wearing
| costumes like crazy quilt rainbow. They
| have abandoned the occupation of taking the
! white mans scalp, and turned their efforts to
| acquiring the white mans money by the sale
Of polished buffalo horns and other curiosites.
| They are thrifty bargainers, and drive brisk
/ trade with the tourists who pass to and fro
| over the line.
From Maple Greek, three stations below, to
| Secretan distance of 265 miles, the country
is alive with wild fowl. Ducks, geese, pelicans,
! snipe and curleW are encountered in every lake,
| pond and pool of water and afford the passen-
| gers plenty OF sport, at no cost to themselves,
| in popping at them with revolvers. The focks
| of curlew that were encountered darkened the
! shores of the lakes and although the present
! is the breeding season, and most of the birds
are Rstivating further to the North, hunter
would have here all the sport he conld wish
for, From Swift Current to Secretan, some
! seventy miles, we essayed the locomotives
| pilot again, and enjoyed until dark the sensa-
ton of whirling over the broad prairie under
| the blazing sky of brilliant sunset. It was
! very amusing to watch the antics of the goph-
| ers and prairie dogs, which build their nests
! in the earth throughout the whole region, and
even burrow in vast numbers between the ties of
! the road itself To these creatures the locomo-
tive, and the strange creatures upon it, SEEM
| cd to afford constant surprise and fascina-
| ton. They would stand bolt upright
upon their hind legs until the cow-catcher
almost touched them and then, evil
IDENTIFY satisfied that the day of Judgment was
! at hand, would dive into their holes with
laughable precipitation. Occasionally one,
trusting vainly in his powers of foot, would
! turn tail and scuttle down the track with
great rapidity, only to be caught up with
almost Immediately and overrun by the roar
ing train. They were thick as mice in gran
| airy, and the whole track was alive with them,
jumping over the rails. diving into the earth,
running in every direction to escape what must
! have appeared to them most appalling mon
ster. All night and another day we travelled
before we came to Winnipeg, through most
rich and fertile country, already densely popu-
lated in places, and capable of supporting an
| immense number of inhabitants
lipeg to Port Arthur ride of about eighteen
hours more is necessary, when we strike the
rugged and picturesque shores of Lake Supe-
rior, and thence travel on through the rich
Province of Ontario, and on the morning Of
the sixth day arrive at Montreal
The journey from Winnipeg is quite as well
worth describing as tLat whose incidents
have already brie1y noted down, but time per.
mits no detailed account of it. In general
and in closing, it may be said that no railroad
in the world presents such variety, beauty and
grandeur of scenery as that of the Canadian
Pacific. have crossed the continent three
times and should have some criterion for the
Judgment, and may say that whether we look
10 Ontario and Manitoba for richness of soil
and peaceful and prosperous homes of men; to
Lake Superior for raggedness of shore, beauty
of expanse of water, or wealth of mine and
quarry; to Assiniboia and Alberta for impress
sive stretch of prairie and wild life of man,
bird and beast or to the Rocky Selkirk and
Cascade mountains for sublimity and awful
ness of precipice, peak and crag-we shall
find them all as they nowhere else exist even
in America, the land of all lands for natural
resources and wonders No more delightful
trip can be imagined than that by the Cana
dian Pacific Railway during the months Of
summer. For ourselves, undl near Montreal,
we found neither heat nor dust, and arrived at
our journeys end with little feeling of fatigue
One point is especially worthy of remark
indeed, two, but one above all the
rest That is, the superior methods of
provisioning the line, a thing in marked con-
trast TO some roads which [ could mention
where travellers are sure to be fed irregularly
and wretchedly at the eating houses by the
way and in consequence of delays, often are
unable TO secure airy provision at all for eight
or ten hours. The Canadian Pacific runs din
ing cars over all its line, except through the
mountains, and there the eating houses fur
ish o most excellent meal at moderate cost
In the dining ears (Which are put on in relays
at certain fixed points, meals are served ex-
actly on time from day to day, and even in the
| Widest regions the passenger may be sure of
dining supping, or breakfasting as well and
as cheaply as at any first-class hotel. The
second point upon which comment is permissi-
bic is the inyariable courtesy of all the rail
ways servants; / myself am much indebted to
engineers, conductors, aud division officials
| for facilities in seeing and learning about the
country over which we Travelled. Wonderful
in its construction, the road is equally admir-
able for the spirit and carefulness with which
| it isrun.-SIDNRY DICKINSON an Boston Journal.